88 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



and water courses along those slopes were their 

 favorite resorts, I have never seen nor heard of a 

 covey of these quail down in the cultivated fields of the 

 valleys. Here, at least, they prefer to live exclusively 

 on the brushcovered hillsides." 



On the other hand, we have known of cases in Cali- 

 fornia where a brood of quail came regularly every 

 evening to drink from the fountain immediately in 

 front of a ranch house. In certain parts of southern 

 California the quail has found the orange trees safe 

 roosting places, and in the evening comes down from 

 the brush-covered hills to the orchards. 



In Lower California, Mr. A. W. Anthony found the 

 valley partridge very common in the mountains up to 

 an altitude of about 9,000 feet. 



He adds : "Both in southern and Lower California 

 I was told by the Indians and native Mexicans that 

 during very dry seasons the valley quail do not nest, 

 but remain in flocks during the entire summer. This 

 statement I was able to verify by personal observation 

 during the summer of 1887. These birds were seen 

 by me in large flocks throughout the spring and sum- 

 mer months, and only two or three broods of young 

 were noticed. Birds taken during April, May and 

 June showed but little development of the ovaries. 

 Should the winter rains, however, be sufficient to in- 

 sure an abundance of seeds and grasses, the coveys 

 begin to break up early in March, and from every hill 

 in the land the loud challenge of the male is heard. 

 The call notes of this sub-species are quite varied, fre- 



